Do vegetarians eat animal crackers?

~Author Unknown

Now to undertake the outlook of those on the other end of the spectrum: True, eating animals is perhaps considered inhumane but it surely isn’t un-human. It’s conventional, it’s mainstream, it’s a tradition and just about every person in the world who can eat meat does so.

When morals are used as the chief justification of vegetarianism, then how do vegetarians account for the ethical incongruities common in almost all food production? Billions of insects are killed in the production of grain, fruit, rice, and vegetables through the utilization of pesticides. And even if all this food is truly organic (which is often highly implausible), the plowing, weeding, and harvesting of the crops would harm the lives of insects that (just like animals) experience pain as well. And what about all of the animals dislodged from their natural habitats in order to source such “organic” crops.

Humans are naturally omnivorous. Made evident by everything from our teeth to our digestive system, humans are, by nature, expected to consume both plants and animals. To declare that we should never eat meat would be to go against nature.

Eating meat isn’t a habit we must immediately stop doing wholly all at once. It should, however, gradually be weaned down. Numerous health reports point out that we need to consume more fruits and vegetables; and so to preserve our health, we should. Meat shouldn’t be seen as the central fraction of a meal, but some meat intake is vital for a source of protein and essential fats. And fish, as well, preserves the health of the brain.

I highly agree that any living thing able to feel pleasure or pain deserves moral consideration, but I don't deem it morally wrong to eat animals. What I do believe to be immoral is to cause unnecessary suffering to animals. It’s pleasing to spot a well-run farm, with sheep in the field being corralled by hard-working farm dogs, or a yard occupied by chickens basking in the sunlight. I like it best when I can observe humans showing respect and appreciation to these creatures for their sacrifice to us.

Humans are fortunate to exist at the peak of the food chain. It’s a more probable situation for a human to be slain by another human than by another species. With this advantage, however, comes the responsibility to keep animals from needless harm. Whether you are a vegetarian or not, you should always give our fellow living creatures the respect they deserve.